Tuesday
by Aeliel
Summary: It was just a normal day in Sakura's life, then the worst thing that could have happened...did. RR flames accepted.
1. Author note

I wrote this story about 2 weekends after September 11th, 2001. I was on a vacation in Canada and I was touched by the half-mast of the flag that they had there.

I was also inspired to write this after I listened to a woman on the radio the day it happened. Her brother, who had been on one of the hijacked planes, had called her that morning to tell her he loved her. She was hysterical as she retold the account of what he had said to her. This made me cry when I heard it. (Side note: I don't cry… it's a personality flaw of mine… but I did cry when I heard this woman's story)

When I read other stories of September 11th, I was a little upset that they all had their characters survive to tell the tale. That's not how the real event occurred.

Thousands of innocent people died that day, a normal day to them. Those people had no idea that they would never see their loved ones again, or how their lives would be taken by ignorant people who were martyrs for Allah just so they themselves could get to paradise, not caring about all the families that would be torn apart and the children that would never meet their mothers and fathers.

We need to be aware of the evil that has happened in our country and not try to romanticize it, because there is no way that we could romanticize it for the people who lost someone in those buildings and the children that were orphaned by the attack.

I decided to republish this story as a reminder to all that we need to remember this. It is part of our country and it is a part of us. This is something that cannot be taken away from us no matter how hard we try to forget, and if we do forget then this same thing could one day happen again.

All of what I have just told you aside I hope that you will read this story and listen to the meanings and words. I hope that it teaches you that not everything in life is romantic and that sometimes there are things that you cannot cover up with hope. Thank you.


	2. The day life turned to dust

Disclaimer:

Alright I revised this story because I was a little unhappy with how it was. I reread it finally after 4 years of leaving it be. I hope you all like it the way it is. I dunno if it will still have the same impact that it did at the time that I originally wrote it but I will still put it up here for all of you. This story is very close to my heart because of the horrible things that happened to the people of our country. This is for all the people who have lost someone in the WTC Terror. Enjoy.

Oh yeah and I don't own CCS either that belongs to those lovely ladies at Clamp.

Sakura's eyes fluttered open to the buzzing alarm clock. She groaned and rolled over; trying to ignore it, but the sound would not give up so easily. One of the strong arms that held her, pulled away and the noise disappeared. She sighed contentedly and snuggled against her husband's chest once more.

"Sakura, get up. It's training time." A voice near her ear announced. She moaned and squeezed her eyes shut.

"But it's so early! Can't we just skip it this one time?" Her husband chuckled. She opened her eyes to see her beloved warrior leaning over her. The, 27 year old, card mistress smiled up at him.

They had met in 4th grade when he had come to take the, now Sakura, Cards back to the Li clan. He ended up helping her capture and collect all the cards. Since then they had gotten married and had moved to America with their friends Tomoyo and Eriol. Syaoran had been given a job at the World Trade Center, and it paid so well that Sakura didn't have to work.

"You ask that same question every morning, and every morning I give you the same answer. Now get out of bed." He replied, tickling her side and causing her to squirm away

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They were both sweating and hungry, but both stood, watching the others movements. After a few more minutes they stopped, and bowed to the other, bokken over the shoulder. Kendo practice was hard, but it kept them in shape and quick on their feet. Even though their adventures with the cards were over, Syaoran felt they should do something to remain able bodied. One of those "just in case" types of deals.

"I think that you should call in sick. I have a bad feeling about today." Syaoran smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Everything will be fine. You're just feeling my frustration about the project that I'm working on with Jordan. Sometimes I wonder why they hired that man." Sakura nodded, her stomach a little uneasy but overlooked. Syaoran cleaned up and changed into his suit.

"I'll see you tonight. How about I bring home a movie for us to watch? You could put on something sexy and make that soba you're so good at." He asked the last bit with his eyes narrowed, sweeping her body with a glance. She could feel the flesh rise on her arms as he did this and nodded, swallowing. He smiled and kissed her before heading out the door.

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She was dancing around the house, cleaning, when something came on the radio that made her fall to her knees.

"We have just been informed here in the studio that a plane has crashed into the south tower of the world trade center. Please tune into your television news station for more coverage of this attack." Sakura fumbled with the remote and found the power button with a bit of trouble. On the screen was the world trade center with a huge hole in the 82nd floor of the tower that her beloved Syaoran worked in.

She gasped feeling sick. Running for the phone, she grabbed it just in time for it to ring.

"Syaoran are you alright?" She could hear the trembling in his voice while he spoke.

"I'm ok for now, just wanted to talk to you." He wasn't sure if he was trying to convince her or himself, and she could tell.

"Syaoran, did you make it out ok?" She held her breath, hoping for the answer that she knew she wouldn't get.

"No, but I will get out. Don't worry I'll be fine. We have plans tonight right?" Sakura nodded into the phone, so dazed that she didn't even realize he couldn't hear a nod. "Sakura I love you. You know that don't you?"

"Syaoran I love you so much. You'll make it out ok." She half demanded.

"I'm trying. Just remember that whatever happens I will always love you and watch over you." Sakura choked back her sobs.

"You'll be fine." And the line went dead. She felt a scream rip from her throat as the terror and anguish she had been feeling was suddenly released in a wave. The tower had fallen, with him still trapped inside.

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The streets were crowded with firefighters that had been called into work because of what had happened. Both towers were gone by the time they had arrived. He took a good look at the Chaos that surrounded him. People were wounded, piles of metal were everywhere, and some bystanders were being herded away by policemen or running everywhere trying, hoping, that friends and loved ones were in the mob. The clouds of dust and smoke were enough to choke a man to death, let alone have to work inside of.

Eriol gazed at the scene, a bit dazed. It felt surreal, like he was on a movie set. It was almost as if he were detached from his body. He scanned the scene, his eyes falling on a small Japanese woman forcing her way through the throng of people who were running to and fro. Her pants were dirty, her shoes mismatched and her shirt was buttoned wrong. She looked a mess, and from the frown on her face she obviously felt one too.

"ERIOL!" She screamed, spotting him. He ran to her, or a form of what you could call running, the huge boots he wore prohibiting fast movement. "Syao-kun is in there. I don't know what to do. I just had to get here. I know there is nothing I can do but I had to see for myself." She sniffled a bit and he hugged her close.

"You need to go home. We have a lot hard work to do and it's very dangerous around here. I'll call you if something happens. I promise. But I'm sure that Syaoran would want you safe." Sakura nodded, rubbing her nose.

"You're right. But you promise to call me?" Eriol nodded.

"On my honor as a man, I promise."

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Hours turned into days, and still no sign of Syaoran. Sakura grew more and more desperate. She couldn't eat or sleep. The time dragged by slowly. Every time the phone rang her heart healed, and broke again when it wasn't Eriol. It seemed as if every moment she was alive was agony. Tomoyo came over and tried to get her mind off of it but that just intensified the feelings of hopelessness that began to engulf her mind.

3 long days of continued on with nothing. At 4:30pm on the third day, the call finally came. They had found Syaoran but he was in critical condition and had been taken to the closest hospital that would take him. She sped out the door without another thought.

The wrath of god could not have kept her away from his side, and that's just what the nurses tried to enact upon her. After one hard glare to the pretty redheaded woman that had crossed her path, Sakura was finally taken to his bedside. He was barely alive, but he was breathing and she was glad to at least see that. His eyes fluttered open as she made a grab for his hand. He smiled and then grimaced, the pain it had caused was obvious and she could see that.

"Sakura" He held her hand tight. "I'm glad that I could see you at least on last time."

"Don't say that. You'll be fine, and you'll come home and we'll continue with our life just how we had planned." Syaoran sighed lightly.

"Sakura I love you. But I have already accepted it. I only have a few more hours to live. I'm bleeding internally. There's nothing they can do about it. If they had caught it sooner maybe, but after so long I just wasn't built for this." Tears started to find their way down Sakura's cheeks as she listened to him. He turned to her. "You mean everything to me. And you always will."

"You tell me that everyday, and will forever. You'll get better." He felt himself slipping. Squeezing her hand, he dug hard for every ounce of strength he had so he could stay with her for even a few more seconds. She leaned down and kissed him, cradling his head in her free hand. She traced the lines of his face as she did so, running her hands through his hair, the tears falling onto his skin. He breathed out and everything went slack. She knew she had lost him then and her body began to tremble.

She cried out painfully, mournfully, beating his chest to try to get him back and collapsed on his body. A part of her soul had died just then. A part she could never get back. The nurses pulled her away and helped her to calm down, letting her cry softly to herself. Eriol came then, knowing that he was too late and cursing himself for it. He saw Sakura sitting outside the room, holding herself and he gathered her to him. Clutching each other for support, the two of them sat and held each other. If one of them let go, the other would have surely been lost as well.

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Weeks passed by. Sakura grieved everyday. Most of the time she spent alone, in the quiet of her own thoughts, sometimes she would visit Tomoyo and Eriol. They would sit around and entertain themselves with stories about things Syaoran had done while he had been with them.

Slowly Sakura began to shake the horrible depression that she had been burdened with after the terrible tragedy. Though still feeling the loss of her soul mate, she continued to live, baby step after baby step. One day, a few years later Tomoyo asked her how she was doing. Sakura smiled softly at her friend.

"It's hard. Everything reminds me of the fact that I don't have him anymore. I thought I would never be able to continue without him. But the sun still rises and sets, the birds still sing, and the days still go by. Through it all, life goes on."

Aeliel


End file.
